‘Pop-up’ meeting and working spaces set to open in borough’s empty high-street units

Nicholas Thomas – Local Democracy Reporter

Several empty buildings across a county borough are being converted into ‘pop-ups’ where businesses can rent spaces to work and hold meetings.

A senior Caerphilly councillor hopes the move will not just regenerate vacant premises on high streets, but will also help firms avoid the financial costs of hiring other more expensive premises.

Dubbed “meanwhile spaces”, the first of the pop-ups will open soon in the former Barclays premises in Caerphilly’s Cardiff Road.

The scheme follows a successful pilot in Bargoed, said Cllr Jamie Pritchard, Caerphilly County Borough Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and deputy leader.

Low costs

“Putting empty buildings to use in town centres by offering low costs for small business is crucial,” he added.

“Working together with PopUp Wales, we have started in Bargoed, and now another at the soon to be opened former Barclays Bank in Caerphilly. We can assure you, more opportunities will be in the pipeline.”

Urban Foundry, a firm specialising in creative regeneration, will run the new scheme, which is expected to deliver five meanwhile spaces in the borough by March 2025.

It is hoped the new agile spaces can help businesses find affordable working and meeting areas, while also addressing the wider high-street regeneration issues councils are facing nationwide.

Cllr Pritchard said the local authority has a “clear motivation to tackle empty buildings with meanwhile uses for businesses by offering low cost options”.

“Empty buildings are a blight on towns across the country, so we have to work positively to mitigate this problem,” he added.

Barclays closed its branch in Cardiff Road in October 2023. The firm continues to offer some customer services at Caerphilly Library on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.